Style Inspiration: How To Dress In Spring 2016

It’s that time of the year again,

We’re shedding layers upon layers of thick clothing to replace them with lightweight garments that are not only a lot more enjoyable to wear but also tend to emphasize our physiques in a flattering way and overall help us look more attractive to the pretty ladies, who too use this time to display their sexuality and femininity with clothes.

Oh yes, Spring is an amazing time to dress sexy!

But as with other seasons there are some best practices we should follow and some pitfalls we should avoid.

How To Dress In Spring To Look Sexy As A Man

Menswear trends for Spring / Summer 2016 haven’t changed that much compared to last year: denim is still going strong, floral patterns are as popular as they usually are in Spring and mostly the same pastel colors dominate spring outfits with an occasional brighter piece in the mix.

There are a few interesting tendencies that might be worth exploring, such as Cuban collars on shirts or safari-themed colors (beige, stone, khaki) and there are some trends that had me scratching my head, thinking “you’ve got to be kidding…”, such as the growing popularity of relaxed cuts on jeans.

Overall, I’d say that for Spring / Summer 2016 its best to stick with the basic principles of dressing in Spring and not worry too much about the specific trends.

Recommendations for dressing in spring:

Brighter colors. Even though for night game and meeting women in bars and clubs black is effective as ever, for daytime it’s better to build outfits around other colors: brown, white, grey, blue, khaki, beige, etc.

Floral patterns can seem a little feminine, and they are, but they are also an amazing way to add some character to your outfit and score extra style points, especially in spring. If floral is not your thing, polka dots, check and stripes are also great choices. One item in particular that works very well in warmer weather is a horizontal striped tee (it was one of my first wardrobe additions this season too). If you’re going for an edgy or rugged-masculine image you also might want to consider adding an item in camo pattern, which has a strong masculine edge to it.

I’m sure I won’t surprise anyone by saying that in spring we should replace our thick wool garments with something more suitable for warmer weather. Denim is a great option for that and if you live in a climate where the weather is already comfortably warm, you might want to start wearing your denim jackets and shirts instead of leather. Talking about leather, another great alternative for Spring to traditional leather is suede. It’s less intense, more casual and has a nice masculine touch to it, which makes it particularly effective during daytime.

Most of us use winter season to work on our physique and by the time Spring hits we already have a few things we would like to “show off” – if that’s you, go for it! With a solid physique your goal is to present it in a flattering way, without accidentally creating visual illusions that might make your physique appear less impressive than it is (i.e. baggy hoodies with big pockets that make it look like you have a pot belly). Keep your outfits simple and cuts tight.

As you can see the guidelines are quite straightforward and not that different from last year.

But before we get into the style inspiration outfits I prepared for you this year, I’d like to take a moment to talk about the relaxed cuts on jeans that a few big fashion brands are trying to push on men this season.

Fashion in general has a tendency to go to extremes and then just as extremely overcorrect once it realized that it gone a step too far. I think this is what’s happening with menswear right now. You see, in the last few years with the popularity of skinny cuts on jeans, brands saw an opportunity and doubled down on this trend by starting to introduce “super skinny”, “extreme skinny”, etc. cuts that I generally wouldn’t recommend outside of a few nuanced cases.

And once they gone in this direction and there’s nowhere tighter to go, they are pretending to be novel and innovative by bringing back relaxed cuts from a decade ago. Here’s the problem – they don’t look flattering on pretty much anyone who’s not a professional cyclist, a bodybuilder or someone with similar lifestyle that made them develop massive, trunk-like legs.

On the contrary, most of them do the exact opposite of what it takes to maximize your sex appeal with clothes: they draw attention away from your physique and tries to hide it. On top of that, it greatly limits our footwear options because any narrower design (i.e. simple white sneakers) will be overwhelmed and look like you have disproportionately small feet.

What this means to you in practice?

For the time being stick with the proven cuts, slim and skinny, and cross your fingers hoping that brands won’t try to force-feed us this goofy trend just to force us to buy more from them. Personally, I highly doubt it will stick.

Mandatory common sense disclaimer before we get to the outfits

The outfits here are meant to give you an idea how you can dress and improve your image to look sexier. When creating them I don’t have any set budget in mind because we have readers from various backgrounds and that spend vastly different amounts of money on clothes so make sure to adjust these outfits based on your budget and the climate you live in.

And now, the outfits!

Edgy. In Love and War

When I called her to meet me for a drink in a bar near my place she told me I was not being subtle

When we met in the bar, I took her by the hand and pulled her so very close to me that I could feel every curve on her body, she told me I was not being a gentleman

When we sat there and I put my hand on her thigh just under her short skirt she told me I was being bad

When I whispered to her that we’re going to my place after this drink and all the dirty things we’ll do when we’re alone she told me I wasn’t playing fair

When I bent her over the desk at my place and put my hand between her thighs, teasing her before offering the release she told me that she hated me for making her wait

And when we sat there naked afterwards, having a smoke before going at it again she told me I was not playing by the rules

I looked into her eyes and smiled,

“Sweetheart, in love and war there are no rules…”

Even though this look is tagged as Edgy, it could just as easily pass as Masculine – Rugged due to heavy military influences that are extremely masculine in their nature. It’s the tight cuts and the scoop neck on the tee that makes this look edgy, not just masculine.

Overall the look is easy to re-create from a technical point of view and will work tremendously well on certain demographics, but it also requires a certain personality type to pull it off without coming off too intimidating.

Items:

Denim jacket – I went with a blue denim jacket for this outfit but there are other great alternatives too: black or grey washed denim jacket (or shirt), black leather jacket. Slim cut should be the default option but as long as it’s cut close to the body and there’s not a lot of extra fabric flapping around the arms, it doesn’t really matter.

Camo joggers – this is the defining item in the outfit that makes this look unique. You don’t need to worry much about the fabric (for example if you don’t like joggers) but the tight cut is essential because we we’ll be wearing them tucked into the boots and we don’t want to create a “muffin effect” in the transition between boots and trousers

Tee – as long as the jacket is reasonably tight, the tee can be subtly relaxed in cut though it’s up to you how tight you want it to be (well, personal preference and your physique). As for color, various versions of grey will work best

Boots – another big item in this outfit that makes the look both edgy and masculine, a lace up combat boots. If the weather is already too hot to wear boots where you live, a high ankle converse shoes could be used as an alternative, though I have to say that it will make the outfit less impressive

Belt– note that for this look we’re not going with the most popular option (a simple black leather belt) but instead we pick a belt that will go better with joggers. If you go for a more classical fabric for trousers, a distressed leather belt is still a solid alternative.

Necklace – metal chain goes particularly well with this image and for the pendant its best to stick with items that thematically go well with the edgy-masculine outfit. Dogtag necklace is a good example of that but only if you DON’T live in the country with strong military culture (some parts of U.S. comes to mind), where people will just naturally I assume that you’re in the military just because you’re wearing dogtags.

Black Bracelet – woven bracelet goes well with the belt but is not a must, a metal bracelet would work quite nicely too.

Brown Bracelet – I also wanted to add an accessory that would introduce another color (other than black) and would tie the camo trousers with the rest of the look. A bracelet that has both dark brown and black does this perfectly.

Bag – an optional accessory for those who’re looking for practicality and might need to carry something to a class or smuggle alcohol to a music festival.

Beanie – another optional accessory based on the weather. It’s a cool detail that can improve your whole image especially if you don’t have a sexy haircut going.

Sunglasses – last optional piece, a pair of aviator sunglasses. Given that it’s an outfit for spring, where we have a lot more sunny days it’s generally a good idea to own a pair and for both edgy and masculine image nothing beats aviators.

Who and where can wear this outfit:

In terms of body type, the outfit is quite versatile and will look flattering on most. Shorter guys would benefit from swapping a longline tee from a regular length one.

As for personality, this image can be problematic for guys who fall on either extreme of the spectrum: super-outgoing, chatty, high energy guys, who have a tendency to put a foot in their mouth will likely have issues with congruence. On the other hand, men who are very intense, confrontational and don’t smile a lot will appear intimidating, in a bad way. Other than those extremes, you’re good to go.

The outfit is suitable for both daytime and night game but will work best in venues associated with alternative/rock/metal scene.

Elegant – Edgy. Presence

It’s all about that one moment.

The moment when our eyes first met and the captivating attraction sucked us into its vacuum

The moment we met on the dancefloor and you first felt my touch when I took you by the waist and our bodies started moving as one

The moment we first kissed and it felt like everything and everyone around us disappeared, leaving just the two of us in the pure bliss of nothingness

The moment when I held your hand on our way back to your place and you told me about your dreams, your fantasies, your aspirations

The moment when we undressed each other while being overpowered by the all-consuming passion

The moment when we unleashed it and it was loud, and dirty, and so damn good

Can you remember?

This was our story unfolding, one moment of presence at a time.

My personal favorite from this style inspiration because it embodies the Elegant – Edgy image so well. We take a touch of edginess from a leather jacket, bracelets and a patterned scarf, add a sip of elegance with the dress shirt and Chelsea boots, mix the two with some playfulness (red trousers) for taste and top it off with a light touch of masculine detailing that comes from the choice in belt and watch.

The result is a perfect passionate cocktail for a night out.

Items:

Leather jacket – I went with a racer leather jacket due to its versatility but the look would work just as well with a biker leather jacket (though it would make it a bit edgier). We do, however, want it cut close to the body as a big part of the outfit’s success comes from how it shapes your physique

Red jeans – as with the previous look, it’s the jeans that put the outfit in a league of its own. They also make it a bit more playful and if you read the “leaked” chapter on colors from the upcoming “The Wow! Factor” course, you know that they also can make you more attractive to the pretty ladies. (More on this in the Finishing Thoughts section)

Chelsea boots – even though we could get away with white sneakers, certain designs of chukka boots and even a pair of oxfords/derby shoes, I can’t imagine a pair more perfect for this look than Chelsea boots. Especially this pair from Ted Baker because of the blue patterns on the side. Actually I loved this pair so much, that I had to order them for myself too!

Dress Shirt – a white dress shirt not only introduces another color to the look but also expands where we can rock this outfit, making it a bit dressier. Alternatively we could get away with a white V-neck/scoop neck tee.

Scarf – this outfit has a lot going for it but chances are that the scarf will still get the most attention and compliments for you. Not to mentioned making sure that your upper body is shaped in a flattering way and the color matches with the blue highlight on the shoes to create an impressive effect of “I know what I’m doing”

Belt – even though a regular black belt would do the job well, I went with one that has white stitching as it will match with the shirt and once again solidify the impression that the outfit is deliberate and well thought out. Little details like that do make a difference

Watch – I’ve added a watch to this look to give it a subtle masculine touch as we’re playing around with quite a few feminine details. Just a little something to make sure we keep the overall image on the masculine side.

Red Bracelet – with all the accessories our goal is to connect all the different colors in an outfit and a red thin bracelet will do the job by matching with the trousers

Bead Bracelet – bead bracelet on the other hand will match with black pieces and metal detailing. I recommend wearing a watch and bead bracelet on one hand and red bracelet on the other

Sunglasses – an optional accessory and one that you might not use that often if you’re only going to wear it as a night game outfit for bars and clubs, but just in case you are rocking this sexy look when its sunny outside, a pair of wayfarers will work perfectly with the Elegant – Edgy image

Who and where can wear this outfit:

The outfit requires quite a solid physique to work best. Your height doesn’t matter as much but a lean physique is needed because the cuts are tight and there won’t be many pieces that could “camouflage” a beer gut. You can go around this by also introducing a dark navy vest in the mix.

There aren’t any hard requirements personality-wise except that you should be comfortable enough not to panic from getting some attention and in general content with your sexuality and being a sexual man.

The look is best suited for night game but can also work quite well in the afternoons, just be aware that you’ll be getting even more attention during the day.

Smart – Casual. Coffee To Go

We met on a beautiful spring afternoon in a coffee shop as we usually do. She wore a short floral skirt that danced around her legs as she was walking in, a dark blouse on her feminine physique that made my heart skip a beat, high heels and a short blazer – ah, gorgeous as ever.

I love meeting this girl because even though it’s not our first time, it’s always novel and we never know where the day will take us.

Sometimes we will spend hours talking, getting to know each other one more time and sometimes we’ll just get coffee to go and have it at my place just around the corner. When we do this, coffee is actually the last thing on our minds.

We greet, hug and go to order. I keep my hand on her lower back while she’s ordering first.

“Vanilla latte, please!”

Mmm… Only now I realize how nice she smells today. I’m not an expert on perfumes and for the life of me I couldn’t guess what smells are those but I do know what it makes me want to do to her.

“Will you be having it here?” – the barista asks.

She looks at me and before I could consciously process the question I firmly state “to go”. I see her eyes light up and I know that we won’t be drinking the coffee just yet.

In contrast to the previous look, our Smart – Casual choice for spring is best suited for daytime and is deceptively simple. But it’s this simplicity that will make it so effective during the warm spring days. Well that and the fact that because of the item choices this outfit will look flattering on nearly every physique!

Items:

Coat – I think that a trench coat is the most suitable option for spring but we can swap it with a regular medium-length coat. Speaking about length, if height is not your biggest asset, you might want to consider a shorter cut, that doesn’t fully cover your buttocks. One aspect I would urge you to stick with is the lighter, pastel color

Chukkas – this look would work with both, chukka and Chelsea boots (actually, even with white sneakers). Chukka boots have a nice smart – casual touch about them that goes well with the look and in turn I made it my top choice in situation. We generally want to go for a similar color as the coat.

Jeans– light blue, gently washed jeans in a slim or skinny cut. The look would also work with dark wash jeans but sticking with lighter colors in general suits the spring daytime theme a lot better.

Jumper – somewhat optional in a sense that if the weather where you live is already so warm that wearing multiple layers, even thin ones, is too much and gets uncomfortable, you should skip it. That said, it’s a great item for skinny guys who want more volume on their upper body and the buttoned shirt & V-neck jumper combination is always a solid choice

Shirt – white buttoned shirt without any unnecessary details (like pockets). Yup, it’s that simple. Just make sure the fit is spot on, otherwise when you add a jumper on top it will create some awkward areas around your torso. Also, the shirt is worn untucked and preferably with the sleeves rolled up

Watch – a leather strap watch to match with the shoes/coat. The metal detailing can be coated in gold-like color or in stainless steel/silver. It’s a personal preference, just make sure it matches with metal detailing on other items

Bracelet – a non-flashy rope bracelet is one those designs that work surprisingly well with a smart-casual look, especially when we pick the colors to connect different items in an outfit

Sunglasses – optional accessory, but given that this outfit is built mainly for daytime, chances are you’ll be needing them at least every so often

Who and where can wear this outfit:

An extremely versatile look that will work tremendously well on all physiques and personality types. Best suited for daytime as it can feel a bit understated and “nice” for night venues. If you want something that will transition seamlessly from afternoon look to a night one, consider a leather jacket instead of a coat.

Sharp. One Sunny Day

It was one of those days when you can’t wait to get out of bed.

The morning coffee tastes somehow better and a smile brightens your face when you look in the mirror after taking a shower.

You take your laptop and the work seems to flow so effortlessly as if the muse herself was standing by your side.

And when it’s time to go out, you pick out your favorite outfit because it feels just natural to dress up to celebrate this beautiful day.

You meet the amazing woman in your life and can’t help but think how your younger self would be so jealous of you right now – “it does get better!” flashes in your mind.

It was that one sunny day when you finally realized how great it is to be alive!

If our Smart – Casual choice for this article feels a bit too “normal” for you, let me invite you to try the Sharp image instead because the choices in colors and accessories makes it simply “Wow!”. It’s one of those outfits that will make women look twice.

That said, because how attention grabbing this outfit can be, it will also require a certain confidence from the side of the wearer to pull it off.

Items:

Blazer – slim cut blazer in blue. As we’ll be mixing two shades of blue on our upper body it’s a good idea to pick a blazer in a notably darker shade.

Denim Shirt – the shirt doesn’t necessarily need to be denim but it’s a really cool, stylish touch that makes this image so exceptional, without making it overly dressy. Picking a shirt that’s patterned also helps with keeping everything on a more playful, casual side of the Sharp spectrum.

Jeans – I went with white jeans for this look but white chinos or linen trousers would work quite well too, just make sure they are cut close to the body.

Shoes – a pair of oxford/derby/brogue shoes in brown. Given the colors we’ve chosen for our upper body and jeans, a potent brown color will go a lot better with the look than black would. Alternatively, we could also go with light brown but would need to adjust the color of the accessories too.

Pocket square (white) – the little accessory that makes sure that we stay in the realm of the Sharper image, even if it’s on a more casual side. A white & blue combination works best here, thought picking one with some floral patterns can be a nice touch too

Bracelet – as we already have quite a few brown accessories including one on our hand (watch), for the bracelets I would recommend choosing one that has at least two different shades of blue in it. The bracelet pack shown in the image has a perfect combination of colors for this outfit

Sunglasses – as this is also more of a daytime oriented outfit, sunglasses are optional but recommended. In terms of design I would call it a tie between aviators and wayfarers

Who and where can wear this outfit:

As Presence, our Elegant – Edgy look for Spring, this outfit requires a solid physique game on your part as the outfit will draw a lot of attention and there aren’t many pieces to hide unflattering areas. If you’re on the shorter side, consider a short cut blazer and adjust the color on either the trousers or the blazer to tone down the color contrast between upper and lower body.

It’s a definitely an attention grabbing outfit, so you do need to be the type that can handle this. If you do, the world is yours for the taking.

The outfit is meant for daytime but could work in certain stylish night time venues (probably more in Summer than Spring).

Masculine – Rugged. I Am A Simple Man

I am a simple man – I see a pretty girl that I like, I smile.

She caught my smile and is now smiling back at me, trying her hardest to keep the eye contact. That’s cute.

I am a simple man – when a cute girl is smiling at me, I go and introduce myself.

We exchanged our names and she tells me that she thinks my boots look cool. She asks me some other questions, I think she’s trying to flirt. That’s sweet.

I am a simple man – when a cute, sweet girl flirts with me, I ask her out.

We met for drinks later that night. She looked stunningly sexy in a tight sundress and a denim jacket. We had an amazing time together.

I am a simple man – when I have an amazing time with a sexy woman, I invite her to my place.

We said our goodbyes the next morning and agreed to meet again. Life’s good when you’re a simple man.

With our last look in this article we once again go back to the basics. The good thing about outfits like this is that there aren’t many things you can mess up. The bad thing is that the few items that you do wear need to be chosen with diligence and spot on fit is of utmost importance (really, it’s the difference between “who’s that guy?..” and “huh?! What guy?..”)

One interesting thing to note in this outfit is how we play around both brown and black neutral colors. It can be a tricky thing to do, but when done right it helps an outfit stand out in a good way.

Items:

Bomber jacket – we’re going for a suede bomber jacket for a masculine, yet casual effect. The minimalistic design further pushes this agenda and makes it an impeccable item for guys with impressive physiques. Guys who don’t want clothes drawing focus away from their dedicated work in the gym.

Henley – one of the best shirt options for a masculine – rugged image. I would recommend sticking with the white color or, alternatively, pick a light grey hue. As mentioned in the intro – fit is of utmost importance.

Jeans – washed, slightly damaged light blue jeans. Not only it will go well with other colors in this outfit but also makes the look especially fitting for daytime. It’s not to say that you can’t wear it on a night out to a bar, but a darker shade of blue would generally work better for nights.

Boots – a cool, manly and subtly rugged pair of lace-up boots. What could be better? The exact design boils down to your personal preferences. I would recommend sticking with darker shades of brown, without going too close to black. Brown-red hue is a particularly good color for this outfit.

Belt – a rugged belt to match with the boots. As mentioned earlier in the article make sure that the metal detailing on all accessories match or at least is similar

Necklace – for this look I would recommend going with a metal necklace, though the pendant should be chosen based on your personal preferences as the outfit doesn’t have any strong themes we could run with

Watch – a metal watch is a great accessory to make sure the outfit looks manly, not boyish.

Bracelet – to be worn with the watch on the same hand. We generally want a black slick bracelet in leather, any metal detailing is optional

Ring – an optional accessory for guys who want something extra on their hands. A simple, metal ring would work best with this outfit

Who and where can wear this outfit:

Our last outfit in this article is physique-dependent as well. Long-sleeved shirts, such as a Henley, by default require a strong, lean and muscular physique to really work and its the main reason why skinny/bigger guys might struggle with this outfit. To overcome this we would need to replace a Henley shirt for a something more flattering based on your physique.

An extremely versatile look personality-wise as it won’t be as flashy and attention grabbing as some of the other looks in here.

Best suited for daytime but could work quite well in more casual bars and other night time venues.

Finishing Thoughts

I hope this article helped shed some light on how you can dress in spring as a sexy man. Did you like the outfits? Which one is your favorite or the most similar to what you’re rocking this spring?

Also, as you noticed with this article we made some changes in how we present the outfits. I think they look a lot better now, what do you think?

Lastly, as promised in the article, I would like to take a moment introduce a new men’s style course I’m working – The Wow! Factor. It’s a course like nothing you’ve seen before and while working on it I regularly “leak” parts from it. An example of a sneak peek like that is “How To Build Your Edgy Wardrobe” but there’s more!

For example, last time I shared a chapter called “Colors Decoded” that not only shows what colors can and should be mixed to together and which don’t go that well, but also covers the psychology of colors and how they affect the way people perceive you. Sounds cool, right?

Well, if you’d like to get sneak peeks like that while the program is being developed (and access to the previous sneak peeks), you can do so here: